Google updates its page layout algorithm

A recent update to the Google page layout algorithm will see sites with excessive ads above the fold penalised.

The latest Google algorithm change will affect those sites with an abnormally high number of ads above the fold. If relevant content is not immediately visible as a result of being buried beneath ads, this is now set to influence the site’s overall ranking in Google.

The update is aimed at improving user experience, helping to provide quality sites with pole positions in the search engine rankings. Meanwhile, it will alter the rankings of sites which require users to scroll through ads in an attempt find the obscured relevant content.

The Google page layout algorithm update is set to affect sites immediately, and will impact around one per cent of global searches. If changes are made to improve the quality of a page, it could take several weeks for Google to re-crawl the site and view its improvements.

Changes to the Google algorithm

On the official Google Search blog Matt Cutts, distinguished engineer at Google, stated: “This change is just one of the over 500 improvements we expect to roll out to search this year.”

The repeated Google algorithm updates aim to improve its user experience by providing searchers with both relevant and quality sites high in the rankings, helping Google to maintain its top spot in the search engine market share.

Tom Glass, creative director at theEword, said: “The latest Google page layout algorithm change highlights that design and layout are factors that should also be taken into consideration when looking to optimise a site for search engines and improve user experience.”

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